


Too Dark...?

by MissBeiBauble



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Injury, Major Character Injury, Missing Scene, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Self-Indulgent, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:34:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28607583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissBeiBauble/pseuds/MissBeiBauble
Summary: A collection of drabbles and one-shots centered around everyone's favorite mummy, Ahkmenrah. From missing scenes to canon divergence, one thing will remain the same: he's...not in for a good time, here, folks.
Relationships: Ahkmenrah & Larry Daley
Comments: 6
Kudos: 29





	1. Effects

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, thanks for checking this out! I'm late to the NatM party and as a new member of the Ahkmenrah fan club, I wanted to contribute some h/c content that's been brewing since I finished the trilogy.
> 
> Notes at the start of each chapter will say where in the storyline the chapter takes place, as well as whether it continues off from a previous chapter. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> **Takes place early during NatM 3, just after the tablet corrodes on-screen for the first time**

“You okay?”

Ahkmenrah regained his balance with the help of Larry’s hand on his back, eyes wide. His head was still reeling from the heavy wave of dizziness that had suddenly swept over him just as his tablet corroded a little more right before their very eyes. 

He was able to stand on his own, though, and Larry was still looking at him with concern, so he quickly said, “Yes. Yes, I’m fine.” He offered a little smile of assurance - no sense worrying about the tablet’s effects now, just before the museum’s grand event. 

Larry nodded. “Good. Just take it easy out there tonight, alright?” He began to walk out of the exhibit. “Got fifteen minutes ‘til showtime; gonna figure this out tomorrow,” he called back.

Ahkmenrah couldn’t help but eye his tablet warily before following his friend with a murmured, “Alright.”

He caught up quickly, keeping just behind Larry as they made their way towards the landing of the stairs at a brisk pace. Larry suddenly turned on his heel with a curse, snapping his fingers. Ahkmenrah only just stopped in time to avoid bumping into him.

“Argh, you know what, I forgot McPhee’s cue cards in my office. He’s gonna need those, he’s got this speech thing he’s gonna do later on.”

“Oh, I can retrieve those for you,” Ahkmenrah offered with a nod, already starting towards Larry’s office.

“Great, thanks, Ahk.” Larry continued on down the stairs to start rounding up the other exhibits. 

The trip to the night watchman’s office was not as brief as Ahkmenrah assumed it’d be, as he had to maneuver his way through clusters of various excitable exhibits heading in the opposite direction at varying speeds. He was stopped twice for an opinion on clothing and acts that were to be showcased during the event, and he did his best to express as much encouragement as he could in three seconds or less before continuing on.

Finally making it to the office, Ahkmenrah paused just inside the doorway with a small frown. He’d haltingly come to the realization that he wasn’t entirely sure just what it was he was meant to look for. Cue cards…?

In the past few years since that life-changing day when the Guardian of Brooklyn had released him from his prison, Ahkmenrah had learned a great deal about the new world he found himself in. He was able to understand the meanings behind the current phrases and terms Larry - and especially Nick - used on a regular basis, and had been made aware of numerous modern inventions and their purposes. For instance, he knew about two types of cards: playing, and those used for conveying some sort of information, as a brief letter would. Would _cue_ cards, then, fall under one of those categories, or make up an entirely new one? 

He began to rove his gaze over the surface of Larry’s desk as he thought, hoping to see something card-like. Larry had said they were for the Doctor McPhee’s speech - if so, surely they must not be the playing type. He shifted papers and other materials about as delicately as he could, not wanting to disturb whatever order the night watchman had established over his belongings. Cards needed for a speech - ah! 

Ahkmenrah shook his head at his sluggish revelation. He really must be out of it if he could not gather right away that these cue cards must be comprised of notes for the speaker to refer to during his speech. It was an obvious and familiar concept. 

Sure enough, he soon came across a stack of small white cards paperclipped together. The top card had been scrawled on in messy penmanship.

Ahkmenrah snatched the cue cards and trotted out of the office, already beginning to hear telltale sounds of the event having started. He was glad both his presentation and the doctor’s speech would be taking place a little later into the evening, but still he wanted to be there and deliver the cards in good time. Larry didn’t need one more thing to be worrying about if Ahkmenrah didn’t arrive soon.

He made his way down the hall in long, purposeful strides. Just as he neared the top of the stairs, however, a strange sensation made the Pharaoh’s steps falter. He felt as though a long, cold wire were being threaded through the base of his skull, tugging painfully at his consciousness. His arm shot out to grasp at the railing in an attempt to steady himself as the strength in his legs began to drain. 

Eyes blown wide in fright, it was all Ahkmenrah could do to keep from keeling over as an unrelenting wall of dizziness sent the museum spinning. He poured all his remaining strength into keeping both hands gripped on the railing. 

It didn’t take long for him to realize he was also struggling to breathe. It was as if his lungs had shriveled to a quarter of their usual size, barely allowing any air in or out of them. Black spots began to crowd Ahkmenrah’s vision as his gasps grew more and more desperate - what in the name of Ra was happening to him?!

Above the sounds of his labored breaths, Ahkmenrah could just hear a clamour growing at the other end of the hall. It sounded like not-so-distant thunder, strange cries and growls rising above the din and causing his stuttering heart to drop into his stomach with sickening dread. Though he had never witnessed one before, primal instinct supplied the word with grim certainty, and he shuddered.

_Stampede._

He dragged his gaze over to where he was praying with all his might the sounds were _not_ coming from. The marble floor had begun to tremble beneath him as within a second, a herd of creatures from all eras and parts of the world turned the corner and came charging down the hall towards the stairs - towards him. Leading the force of destruction were two woolly mammoths he had come to know well over the years; Ahkmenrah was grimly aware that this would make no difference now. The enormous beasts were all but blind in their animal panic.

Ahkmenrah had the state of mind to realize his only chance of escaping being horribly trampled was to somehow make it to the stairs. The hallway was simply not wide enough to avoid the rushing mass of animals, and he’d run the risk of being thrown over the railing, as well. He knew stampeding creatures would not take sudden turns if they could help it - they would continue straight down the hall and past the steps.

With scant few seconds left to move, and even less strength in his trembling limbs, Ahkmenrah pulled himself hand over hand along the rail and towards the stairs, mere feet away from safety. The blood was rushing in his ears and he was shaking badly now, the tremors running through the floor only making things worse. 

He was out of time. The mammoths were practically upon him.

With a yelp, Ahkmenrah threw himself the remaining distance into the gap between the railing and the mammoths, felt his right shoulder crash against a tusk, a sharp edge connect with his head - 

He knew nothing beyond that.

Only when the last few stragglers finally managed to flee the scene of the disastrous event did the exhibits return to their normal states. Larry had ordered them all to wait for him in the museum lobby, trying to contain his bewildered anger until he could speak to his friends all at once.

He was trying to convince a petulant Dexter to follow the others inside when Teddy came rushing over to him.

“Lawrence my boy, there’s -”

“I told you to wait inside with others, Teddy, we’ll get to the bottom of this as a group,” Larry interrupted stiffly, Dexter’s obstinate behavior driving his irritation to new heights. 

To his surprise, Teddy suddenly gripped his arm, and Larry had to look at him then. Fear overwhelmed his frustration when he saw the expression on his friend’s face.

“Lawrence, something’s happened - Ahkmenrah, he -”

Larry didn’t need to hear any more. “Let’s go.”

At the mention of the Pharaoh’s name, Larry’s thoughts zeroed in on the tablet, on the effect its corrosion had on Ahkmenrah. He never saw him since parting at the stairs. A cold sense of apprehension pricked at his nerves as he and Teddy ran into the museum, making a beeline for the lobby. 

He was almost certain all the exhibits’ insane behavior tonight was the fault of the corroding tablet. If Ahk had already begun to suffer from its effects before anyone else had (that he knew of)...just how badly was he affected at this stage?

They were forced to stop at the crowd of exhibits gathered around the bottom of the stairs. Larry didn’t see Ahkmenrah among them. At his questioning glance, Teddy gestured to the middle of the group. 

“Hey, guys? Okay, need to get through here, need you all to just…” Larry began to squeeze himself through the crowd, noticing that those of the exhibits who could speak were murmuring to each other solemnly, and the animals present were tense and watchful. This only added to his mounting dread.

Larry noticed Sacagawea first. She was knelt over a bundle of robes on the floor close to the base of the stairs, her back to him. As he approached, he got a better view of the scene. He could see now that the bundle of robes splayed on the floor was, in fact, a person.

Sacagawea then shifted, revealing the lifeless, bloodied face of what he considered to be one of his closest friends. 

Larry could only stare in abject horror.

_Ahkmenrah..._


	2. Effects (pt 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Follows directly from the previous chapter

Sacagawea looked over her shoulder at the night watchman. Concern etched her features as she pursed her lips. “I’m not sure how this happened,” she said, glancing down at the prone figure of Ahkmenrah, “but he’s fallen from the top of these stairs.”

Larry shook himself out of the stupor that held him frozen dumbly in place and bolted over to kneel by his friend. The hard, marble steps had taken their toll on the Pharaoh - there was a gash across his forehead that was bleeding profusely down the side of his head, pooling beneath his curls. Larry also noticed with a wince that a mass of bruises had started to bloom over Ahkmenrah’s right shoulder.

“We shouldn’t move him,” Sacagwea murmured. Larry dragged his gaze away from Ahkmenrah to glance at her. “I’m not sure how severe his head wound is yet.”

“Yeah. Okay, well, we’re definitely going to need the first aid kit,” Larry said, eyeing the open cut. 

Behind him, Teddy called, “I’m on it!” 

At the sound of Texas galloping off, Ahkmenrah suddenly jolted awake with a gasp, startling Larry and Sacagawea both. 

“Hey, hey, buddy, you’re alright,” Larry immediately tried to soothe his friend, keeping a light hand on his arm. Ahkmenrah was clearly distressed, shifting about while he struggled to keep his eyes open.

“Wh-what...happened…?” he croaked, glancing dazedly between Larry and Sacagawea.

“You’ve fallen down the stairs,” Sacagawea told him in a soft yet clear tone. She reached to gently lift both of his eyelids, checking his pupils.

Larry nodded. “Think you’ve got a concussion there, Ahk. Does anything else hurt?” 

Ahkmenrah’s brows furrowed. He then began to sit up by his elbows, an attempt that was quickly halted by two pairs of hands.

“Woah, hang on, we’re gonna take things slow here,” Larry said. “You’ve heard of a concussion before, right? You’re bleeding and everything, just take it easy for a minute.”

Ahkmenrah sighed, the corners of his lips tilting upwards slightly in a sheepish grin. “I have taken a blow to the head before, Guardian. I am fine, really, just still a bit...dizzy.” He blinked several times, seemingly unable to keep his gaze from drifting. 

A whinny sounded in the distance, and Texas fast approached, hoofsteps echoing throughout the lobby. Larry looked over to see Teddy already half-dismounted, first aid kit in hand.

“Alright, great, we’re gonna stop this bleeding, then -”

“Ahkmenrah, what’s wrong?” Sacagawea suddenly exclaimed.

Larry turned to see that the Pharaoh had started to scramble frantically back, away from the opening the crowd of exhibits had made for Texas to come through. Ahkmenrah’s eyes couldn't be any more open now, his unfocused gaze sharpened for the moment by the obvious terror that’d grabbed hold of him. His lips moved as if to form words, though none came. He was hyperventilating.

“Ahk, hey, what - what’s wrong?!” Larry said, thoroughly bewildered at the sudden reaction. Ahkmenrah was oblivious to both his and Sacagawea’s efforts to calm him, and the timing made Larry think - could it be…?

Following his suspicions, he called over his shoulder, “Texas, woah!” He held out a hand to further halt the horse before he could come any closer.

Texas obeyed the command and stopped in his tracks, some feet away. Teddy then fully dismounted and trotted the rest of the way over to them. “Something the matter?” he asked as he handed over the kit. “With my mount, I mean?”

Larry shook his head and watched Ahkmenrah closely as Sacagawea began to tend to the Pharaoh’s wounds. He saw the fear beginning to leak out of Ahk’s features and rigid muscles, and his breathing, though strained, was returning to a more regular pattern as the seconds went by. Ahk’s gaze remained fixed on Texas, however, wary and unsure. He hardly flinched when Sacagawea pressed a wad of gauze to the cut above his eye. 

“If you feel alright to stand, we can help you to the bathroom to wash the blood out of your hair and off your face before it dries completely,” she offered, placing a bandage over the dressed wound. “Then we can find a comfortable place for him to lie the rest of the night?” 

This aimed at Larry, who responded a moment later, “Hm? Oh, yeah, uh - definitely, got the couch in my - in my office. Think that’s the most comfortable place for him. Yeah.” 

Sacagawea and Teddy both looked at him strangely - he’d explain his distracted state later. He wasn’t sure it wouldn’t upset Ahkmenrah all over again, and their priority was helping the Pharaoh as much as they could before sunrise would restore him completely (physically, at least, based on previous experience).

Sacagawea turned her attention back to the Pharaoh, who for the most part had relaxed his watch on the President’s horse and now only looked drained and tired beyond anything else. “Ahkmenrah? Are you ready to stand? We’re right here to help.”

Ahkmenrah did not seem remotely ready to sit up, let alone stand, but at his weak nod the three of them began to aid him to his feet. Attila the Hun quickly stepped in to help as well, and his steady strength kept the Pharaoh from slipping right back down to the floor again. After some adjusting, the group as a whole made their way slowly towards the bathrooms.

Once there, Ahkmenrah paused his shuffling steps to take great effort in straightening himself so as to stand on his own, managing to sway only slightly. He turned to face his friends. “I can’t thank you all enough for helping me,” he told them with a genuine, if not weary, smile. 

“Sure, Ahk, of course,” Larry shrugged, placing a hand on Ahk’s good shoulder. “Now let us keep helping you - in you go,” he said pointedly, gesturing towards the door of the men’s room, unconvinced that Ahkmenrah was as recovered as he was clearly trying to portray now that toppling over wasn’t an immediate concern.

Ahkmenrah didn’t move, his expression wavering into something more unsure as he continued in a grave tone, “But Guardian, you must know how urgently this matter needs dealing with. While I...cannot remember exactly what happened before my...accident, I know with utmost certainty it has something to do with the state of my tablet. Larry, you must check with the others immediately, if something hasn’t happened to them yet -”

“Something _has_ happened, Pharaoh,” Teddy cut in morosely. Ahkmenrah stared at him. “During our big event. Just minutes after it started, all of us, we…” The President shook his head in shame. 

Attila filled in the details further in Hun, and Ahkmenrah’s eyes grew larger and larger with every word. Sacagawea sighed and attempted to guide the Pharaoh inside the restroom.

“Larry will speak with everyone and make sure they are well,” she assured Ahkmenrah when he wouldn’t budge, stunned into stillness. “Once you’re washed and resting we can all discuss our next course of action on how to stop this from happening again.”

Larry nodded, determined. “That’s the plan. Let Sacagawea take care of you, Ahk, you’ll feel better in no time. Don’t worry about the others - you definitely got the worst out of this whole evening,” he told his friend with a sardonic smile. There might have been some guests that would beg to differ from that last statement, but Larry had no qualms omitting as much. The last thing Ahk needed now was misplaced guilt.

After a few moments, it seemed their words had truly sunken in, as Ahkmenrah finally closed his eyes and gave the barest of nods. “Alright,” he relented in a whisper. Exhaustion hung from his frame like a heavy shroud as he allowed himself to be ushered into the men’s room by Sacagawea, leaning into her support. She turned to glance over her shoulder at Larry and the others with a reassuring nod. She would take care of him.

Larry gave her a nod back before going right to business. “Alright guys, let’s get back to the others, make sure everyone’s accounted for.”

As he, Teddy, and Attila walked back towards the lobby, the President spoke up. “Lawrence, I’m afraid I simply must ask again what my horse had to do with the whole situation; I can’t for the life of me understand -”

“It wasn’t your horse, Teddy,” the night watchman said with a sigh. “I mean, it was, in that exact moment. Look - Attila, you go on ahead, we’ll be right there.” 

At Larry’s gesturing, Attila gave an understanding grunt and went on ahead. 

Larry, now facing his friend, continued after pursing his lips for a bit. “Y’know how you and the other exhibits were acting all crazy during the party and not like yourselves at all? I dunno how aware you actually were, during all that, but the animals especially were acting as if they were back in the jungle, or the savannah or wherever. I honestly thought someone was getting eaten tonight, and that was before Rexy showed up, but anyway -” he quickly went back to making his point after noticing Teddy’s steadily increasing bemusement, “ - the way Ahk reacted to Texas - he was terrified, Teddy. I mean, I’ve never seen him that way before. And the concussion doesn’t help, but it made me think, we weren’t showcasing all the animal exhibits tonight. A lot of them stayed behind, inside the museum.”

“Inside with Ahkmenrah,” Teddy caught on, eyes widening at the realization. “Oh my boy, you don’t think…”

“Yeah, I really do. I don’t know what happened exactly, between him and one or maybe even a couple of the animals in here, but it scared him bad enough that he remembers the fear even if he doesn’t remember where it came from.” Larry shook his head solemnly, blowing out a sigh. “I just hope it didn’t actually traumatize him for life, poor guy.” 

Teddy tilted his head thoughtfully as they continued walking on to where everyone was waiting for them in the lobby. “I’d wager that Ahkmenrah has been through much worse throughout his short life before now.” Larry looked at him, and he smiled knowingly, confidence in his voice as he said, “He’s a strong young man, our Pharaoh. Take faith in that strength, Lawrence - all will be well.”

Larry briefly returned the smile, bolstered by his friend’s words, albeit not quite sharing in his optimism. “Yeah, well, it’ll be a lot easier for me to believe that once we’ve figured out how to fix this tablet situation.”

They’d arrived at the lobby, where nearly all the exhibits had taken places on one of the sets of stairs, waiting for their lecture from the night watchman. Needless to say, there were no happy faces to be found in that crowd. Teddy sighed deeply at the sight.

“Indeed, my boy. Indeed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, fun fact, I originally wanted this to flow seamlessly into the scene in natm 3 where we see all the exhibits on the stairs after the disaster event, so that the fic didn't technically have to be considered an AU, but after wrestling with this chapter for the past couple of nights I decided I just liked it this way better, with Larry more aware of the tablet's effects and Sacagawea absent since she's caring for bby Ahk. :D
> 
> Really sorry if characters are OOC, It's been a reeeeally long while since I've written anything creative before posting this fic, I'm still trying to revive some semblance of my writing style and I'm just hoping it doesn't read as janky as it felt to write...
> 
> Aaaand I'm sorry for long notes, hah. In any case, thank you so, so much for reading!! Any comments just make my entire day; only a little ashamed to admit it really speeds up the chapter update process, as well~ <3

**Author's Note:**

> My answer to the question of just where the heck Ahkmenrah was during that whole fiasco when all the other exhibits had gone to pieces. There will definitely be a follow-up to this chapter! :D
> 
> Also, I'm terrible at keeping track of canon locations and where they are in relation to each other, so if I messed up the museum's layout (I'm pretty sure I did), I'm sorry and I hope it didn't detract from the story too much! Thank you so much for reading!!


End file.
